Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

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Photos: SB Sheriff's Office, KEYT Livestream
Update by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
10:00 p.m., May 7, 2019

Suspect Located Deceased Following Shootout

At approximately 12:45 p.m. today, May 7, 2019, Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) officers including members of its SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiation Team were conducting a high-risk search and arrest warrant for a known suspect at an apartment located off Camino De Vida and Turnpike Road. During the warrant service, gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and SBPD officers. An emergency notification was sent to residents in the area to shelter in place. Due to the close proximity to the incident, San Marcos High School was placed on lockdown.

A large number of resources responded to assist including members from the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team, a Santa Barbara County Sheriff/Fire Air Support helicopter, K9 teams from both the Sheriff’s Office and SBPD, the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, Santa Barbara County Fire Department and American Medical Response. California Highway Patrol officers responded to assist with traffic control and due to the concern for public safety, the 101 Freeway was shut down in both directions from Turnpike Road to Patterson Avenue.

As Santa Barbara Police officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, residents in the apartment complex were safely evacuated out of the area. The Sheriff’s BearCats, Jail Transportation Bus and several MTD buses were utilized to transport residents to a safe location.

After an extended period of time passed without any response from the suspect, the Sheriff’s Bomb Squad robot was sent inside to determine the status of the suspect. At approximately 3:40 p.m. it was determined the suspect was deceased. The suspect has been identified as being 32-year-old Francisco Anthony Alcaraz Jr., a local resident. Next of kin has been notified.

Because the incident occurred in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County, the Sheriff’s Office is investigating the officer involved shooting. Members of the Sheriff’s Forensics Team and Department of Justice Crime Lab are processing the crime scene and gathering evidence.

Due to the active investigation, no additional information is being released at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at 805-681-4150. To leave an anonymous tip, please call 805-681-4171 or go to our website at https://www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.

Update by edhat staff
5:20 p.m., May 7, 2019

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office announced residents at the Positano Apartments and Camino De Vida Apartments can return to their residence, with the exception of the units located immediately adjacent to the unit where the suspect was located. 

A Red Cross Shelter is located at the Goleta Community Center on Hollister Ave for those displaced.

According to scanner traffic, the suspect was found deceased, although law enforcement has not yet confirmed this.

Highway 101 and surrounding areas have been reopened but there still may be traffic in the area.

Edhat will update this article with more information as soon as it is available.

Update by edhat staff
1:40 p.m., May 7, 2019

According to Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) Public Information Officer Anthony Wagner, officers conducted a high risk search warrant of a wanted subject on Camino De Vida around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Officers set a perimeter around the Positano Apartment complex. The wanted subject fired multiple shots at police officers from the apartment. Officers are maintaining their perimeter while attempting to make contact with the subject inside the apartment to surrender peacefully, said Wagner.

Residents in or near the Positano Apartment complex are being asked to shelter in place.

San Marcos High School is currently placed on lockdown but Wagner stated the students are not in immediate danger as the subject is within a well-established perimeter created by law enforcement. 

Highway 101 shut down (Photo: CHP)

The SBPD is joined by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, SWAT, K-9 units, AMR ambulance, and a helicopter.

Highway 101 is shut down near Fairview and traffic is being diverted to Hollister Ave around the incident area.

Edhat will update this article with more information as it becomes available.

Update by an edhat reader
1:03 p.m., May 7, 2019

A text alert has gone out to residents in the Camino De Vida and Turnpike areas, across the street from San Marcos High School, to shelter in place.

Livestream provided by KEYT News

Reported by Roger the Scanner Guy
12:50 p.m., May 7, 2019

Santa Barbara Police and SWAT are near a residence which sounds like Camino De Vida near Turnpike. San Marcos High School is on LOCKDOWN.

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Flicka
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May 09, 2019 12:22 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

So, our Governor can't support "Capital Punishment" is an excuse to gripe about him? He is morally right. In recent years, with DNA, many on death row have been found innocent and released. They should have been put to death? Recently 2 brothers in prison for 30 years, one on death row, were found innocent because of DNA results.

bigone
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May 10, 2019 06:14 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Hey folks, sorry about all the typos and errors in my earlier comment above this morning as I was in a rush to get out and didn't proof read my statements. Obviously what I meant was that I DO NOT want politicians applying their moral compass to me or any other citizen and using that as an excuse to make the rules and laws up on their own. That is like trying to tell someone what religion they must follow because their current choice isn't "morally correct" in their vision. And yes, FLIKA, I'm afraid that things will only get worse with someone like Newsom trying to tell us what's right and wrong rather than govern based on the will of the people who elected him.

bigone
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May 10, 2019 09:00 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

FLIKA, I do want our elected politicians telling us what is "morally right" because that is what they believe, mostly because they think that's also being "politically correct". And for Newsom to ignore the will of the voters is despicable. Your words remind of AOC's comment that too many people get hung up governing with the facts rather than governing by being "morally correct." Sure, let;s just ignore the facts rather than let them guide us logically. First off, your comment about innocent people being imprisoned is no longer relevant t as many have pointed out; with the current advanced state of DNA testing there is no chance that someone would be executed or serve long imprisonment who was actually innocent; what you mention happened a long ,long time ago before we had the scientific resources we have now. Why do you think people like Alvarez do what they do? Because they know the punishment is so lenient thanks to our broken down political and legal system. At least I can be grateful that Alvarez is now long gone thanks to his own actions; had he been captured alive, I'm sure he's be out of jail in no time thanks to our soft laws and a Governor who is afraid to serve the majority will of the people.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 03:32 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Nice - part of a gang that robs small middle school children to gain their "cred" in the organization and robs property owners who catch them trying to tag their property - including the Westside Boys Club. Nice guy - right across the street from a high school too. When will they release this information?

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 03:01 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

So from what I have been able to research on this suspect, he was a gangbanger who has shot people. Why was he out free? I'm sure the fellow residents will be glad to hear this type of person lived there.

a-1576189169
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May 09, 2019 08:19 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Yes, don't you find it interesting that the information isn't readily available? Why? What are they hiding? Did his presence have anything to do with sanctuary cities? The fact that he had a high powered rifle and shot at cops should say all that needs to be said. Why was this guy out free and endangering other people including students? Read up on his crimes. Funny that no one wants to touch this subject.

bigone
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May 08, 2019 07:30 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

"If you don't like it here you can move". Now, that's really solving the problem, isn't it? In addition to those that have already left, I have a funny feeling that many others are contemplating that very notion. For those that wish to stay, good luck with future next door neighbors such as the recently deceased, but obviously outstanding citizen, Francisco Anthony Alcaraz Jr. I'm sure it's society's fault that led him to a life of crime and his very unfortunate demise. Perhaps if we had more gun laws on the books this wouldn't have happened!

bigone
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May 08, 2019 07:08 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Yes Coastwatch, "The Golden State" sadly is long gone and the lunatics have taken over the asylum. What we're experiencing as citizens are the liberals, and the elected politicians thereof, claiming it's better to govern with a self-appointed "moral compass" than to look at the facts, protect the citizens, and uphold both our state Constitution and the U.S. Constitution, which is their sworn duty. Our Governor is a prime example of this as he states he can't "morally" uphold Capital Punishment, even though the voting majority of our state rejected any notion to repeal the death penalty. No doubt we will see more and more of these incidents such as what occurred yesterday. And for those that use the weak statement "Move out of state if you don't like it here," all I can say is that is one of the most defeatist suggestions I have ever heard.

CoastWatch
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May 08, 2019 05:15 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

HEY CALIFORNIANS.... Why is this a surprise...? You all voted for more lenient laws and early releases of 10's of 1000's of convicted felons from our State Prisons... You get what you vote for. Thank your uber-liberal State Representatives and Uber liberal State Attorney General (at the time) Kamala Harris... It's laughable if it wasn't so sad- The once "Golden State" is no longer.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 04:50 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Anyone find if there was anything else on him besides in 2008? I get its completely wrong and he should have been in jail and not have access to guns but I was just wondering.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 11:56 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Because we live in a unique area, sandwiched between the mountains and the shoreline, we have only one major road to move traffic, 101. Any time 101 is shut down the entire area goes into gridlock. Can we spend some time modeling traffic solutions to help when this happens. I watched an ambulance ride on the wrong side of Cathedral Oaks yesterday, siren blasting and cars trying to get out of the way. People can die stuck in traffic in the back of an ambulance as easily as they can from a bullet. Less dramatic but no less final.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 12:06 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

I agree. I hope the powers that be took notice yesterday and are brainstorming some solutions. With the 101 shut down, even for a short time, our whole town becomes locked town. It took me 20 minutes to drive 3 blocks yesterday to a Dr.'s appointment. I'm amazed there were no other injuries or major problems caused by the delays.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 11:46 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Was it necessary to conduct a high risk operation at 12:45 in the afternoon next to a school in session? Law enforcement went loaded for bear so they knew this was very risky.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 11:33 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

I really find it unbelievable that there wasn't a traffic officer at Cathedral Oaks on both the Patterson and Turnpike intersections. Those stoplights were creating all of the traffic and made a 10 mile drive a 2 hour adventure.

sbrobert
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May 08, 2019 10:57 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

It is still early in terms of knowing all of the facts. But I was caught in the traffic jam and it was really scary. I was on the 24X bus heading from our Sierra Club board meeting downtown back to UCSB. The driver was in constant radio contact with the terminal and even he had little idea what was going on. It took an extra hour to get to UCSB and we were among the first vehicles diverted. Those behind us had much longer delays. ========================================================================== I did not see police directing traffic at all, except to close the freeway. Each traffic signal was backing up traffic with no one in authority helping to keep things moving. Many thousands of freeway vehicles were being diverted onto a few local roads that just don't have that much capacity. Only Cathedral Oaks was open to take all of that traffic. ========================================================================== I have a math degree and I look at this in terms of expectation values of harm. In this case, about 10,000 hours were taken from peoples' lives. I am not sure the expectation value of harm from a shooting on the freeway was that large. ========================================================================== I will await further facts. But with what I know now, at the very least the police should have been doing more to direct traffic to offset the massive impact they had created.

Rinconer
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May 09, 2019 08:12 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Thank you SBRobert, Well said. We all have jobs to do. L.E.O. jobs are sometimes dangerous, yet paralyzing an entire city is draconian, inefficient, and extremely dangerous for anyone else in the County who requires emergency services. The innocent should not pay the price of poor planning.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 10:03 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Capt. Cindy Ponce (CHP) said the freeway was closed because the gunman's apt. was closest to, and facing, the freeway. If he had a long gun, he could shoot someone in their car on the 101 freeway. CHP was thinking ahead, and protecting everyone. Thank you, CHP.

biguglystick
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May 08, 2019 09:13 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Unbelievable that they would waste all that manpower to close down the freeway! This was not even near the freeway, and even if the suspect had ran that way, they could have dealt with it without closing the road off in both directions. This affected hundreds, if not thousands of people. Waste of our tax dollars and a huge OVER reaction. Cops, just get in there, do your job and don't overreact. It's like they are so damned excited when something actually happens around here besides petty crime that they just can't WAIT to make a big deal out of it and use their toys.

sacjon
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May 08, 2019 09:16 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

BIGUGLYSTICK - did you see the KEYT story on this? The apartments from which the shooter was shooting from where right next to the freeway and stray bullets could have easily reached either direction of traffic on the 101. Yeah, it was a HUGE inconvenience, but what would we all be saying if they left them open and someone was killed by a stray?

PitMix
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May 08, 2019 08:21 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Positano Apartments are featured prominently on the HACSB webpage. The 3 strikes law was supposed to identify the most dangerous people and keep them in jail but then people started going to jail for 30 years for stealing a pizza as their 3rd strike. They will never be able to identify the people who won't reoffend and the ones that will with 100% accuracy. And the people that want to lock everyone up forever are the ones that hate paying taxes to fund an expensive program like that. Life is complex.

ZeroHawk
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May 08, 2019 08:58 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

this is because our system is a wreck. it doesn't "rehab" felons, it makes them worse and allows them time to conspire with others. the 3 strikes law was just as lame as the war on drugs (pot). waste of money and time and put many people into the system that didn't belong there.

bigone
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May 08, 2019 08:33 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Does anyone know why we are housing felons across from a school? And as far as the "Three-Strike" overturn, we are not talking about pizza theft here. More than 75% of felons who are released from prison commit another felony within five years after release. I'd rather pay to keep them locked up for good rather than know most of them will commit another serious crime after they go back into society. Like I said "No Fear of the law= No fear of punishment."

bigone
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May 08, 2019 08:09 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Yes, the traffic was horrendous and, like many, wonder what would happen in a large emergency such as a major earthquake or, god forbid, a nuclear accident. I don't think Hollywood has gotten it wrong when they have portrayed the chaos and violence among the masses that would result. However, I digress. The real problem here is that a felon was released from prison, only to create another problem after release. How many times do we see and this type of thing? There is no fear of the law here because they all know our government's soft take on punishment will allow them to walk free from jail in a few years, if not a few months. Sorry if I offend anyone, but felons, especially violent ones such as this, should be locked up for good (or executed if the crime warrants it) and NOT RELEASED BACK INTO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. And the fact that this all occurred on our dime only adds to my anger.

bigone
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May 08, 2019 06:45 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Pitmix, do you think this guy really wanted to "stabilize" his life? But I agree that there is not an easy answer to these type of things, just hard choices to prevent it from happening over and over.

PitMix
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May 08, 2019 03:22 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

I don't think there is any law restricting felons as to their housing unless they are sex offenders. And there are so many restrictions on them that sometimes it is hard for them to find any housing to try and stabilize their lives, if they are one of the group that wants this. There is no easy answer to any of this.

a-1576189169
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May 08, 2019 05:35 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

The traffic mess all around Foothill and Cathedral Oaks was huge. What might have happened if there had been a fire, earthquake, medical emergency in that area at that time? CHP should give extra consideration to this before closing 101.

Soccer-Fan
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May 08, 2019 07:49 AM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

The CHP gave every concern for people yesterday considering this felon had a high powered weapon in his possession, which if used could harm drivers on the freeway. During 55 years here in S.B. we have been in numerous fires. Evacuated four times. The CHP - police departments - firefighters - animal rescue and forestry service were always reliable, helpful and considerate . My gratitude to these people who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.

CoastWatch
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May 07, 2019 04:10 PM
Wanted Felon Found Dead After Shootout with Police

Apparently, this guy went from Subsidized JAIL Housing, being released and going into a Subsidized Public Housing Apartment... Hats of to Santa Barbara Housing Authority for providing housing to wanted felons.

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